EFSC Accepting Applications For Space Coast YouthBuild

allows youth to earn G.E.D. while getting paid

ABOVE VIDEO: Space Coast YouthBuild at Eastern Florida State College is a free, federally-funded adult education and leadership development program that gives at-risk young people the opportunity to further their education and earn a GED.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — Eastern Florida State College is again accepting students for its free Space Coast YouthBuild program that helps young people who have left high school without a diploma earn their GED while preparing them for college and a career.

Eastern Florida State College is again accepting students for its free Space Coast YouthBuild program that helps young people who have left high school without a diploma earn their GED while preparing them for college and a career. (Eastern Florida image)

The federally-funded program provides youth between the ages of 16-24 an opportunity to earn their diploma while getting paid, with teachers and staff specially trained to mentor students and help them develop life-skills and leadership ability.

Students divide their time between attending class at Eastern Florida’s Cocoa campus and working for Habitat for Humanity. On campus, they prepare for the GED exam and college readiness under the guidance of their teachers. Classes are small, allowing one-on-one attention to students.

Students earn at least minimum wage for a maximum of 15 hours a week for their construction efforts. They can also earn reward incentives such as gift cards for reaching key milestones. After construction is complete, students can participate in the home dedication ceremony in which the keys to the home they built are presented to the new homeowner. (Eastern Florida image)

On the Habitat for Humanity worksite, students build homes for local families in need while learning skills such as being on time, working well with others, taking direction and showing initiative. Students receive close supervision and training in construction skills from a Habitat for Humanity site supervisor.

Students earn at least minimum wage for a maximum of 15 hours a week for their construction efforts.

They can also earn reward incentives such as gift cards for reaching key milestones. After construction is complete, students can participate in the home dedication ceremony in which the keys to the home they built are presented to the new homeowner.

Since 1994, more than 120,000 YouthBuild students have produced more than 22,000 units of affordable, increasingly green housing in rural and urban communities across the nation.

“I loved working for Habitat for Humanity,” said Brent Thompson, 18. “It was awesome to start with an empty slab of concrete, and see a house come together in two to three months. I learned how to do all kinds of construction work.”

Locally, YouthBuild students are selected through a process that includes interviews and participation in a three-week unpaid orientation that assesses their readiness to participate.

“We’re looking for young people who want to make a positive change in their lives and are committed to making this change,” said program director Cosanne Mistretta.